Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 8461, Moses Fergusson, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Mr Fergusson, Moses
S 8461
CONTENTS
carded

6532 Virginia
Moises Ferguson
of Westfield in the State of Virginia who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Moore of the Regiment commanded by General in the Army for 11 Months
★ Va. Line. Records corrected Oct. 24, 1904
Enscribed on the Roll of Virginia — in the rate of 30 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 21 st day of Feb., 1833 — and sent to the N. & Co. by H. J. R.
Arrears to the 4th of Sep. 1832 $52 66 Pension allowance ending 10th '33 18 33 $73 39
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Geo. C. Stiles Clerk. Book Vol. 5 Page 129

State of Virginia, Chesterfield county, Towit;
On this 18 th day of October anno Dom: 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the county court of Chesterfield county now sitting Moses Ferguson a resident of the said county of Chesterfield in the state of Virginia, aged seventy one or two years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832.
That sometime in the latter part of the year 1780, or in the first of the year 1781, he entered the service as a substitute for Jacob Flournoy's son, in a company of militia commanded by Capt n Joseph Royall, of which Samuel Cheatham was Lieutenant, the Ensign of the company, and the field Officers of the regiment, to which the company belonged, are not now recollected; that he marched with the troops from Chesterfield county, down into the lower part of the state of Virginia, was at Smithfield, Wikeys' mills and that part of the country, was marched up to Cabin point, and discharged, after having served a tour of six or eight weeks.
That some short time after he was called out in a company of militia commanded by Capt n Edward Mosley, the subaltern officers are not now remembered Dabul and Boyce were field officers; he was marched up and down James river, was at the battle at Petersburg; marched from thence by Chesterfield courthouse to Falling creek church, from thence to Tuckahoe where they crossed the river, and marched down to Wilton below Richmond, where he was discharged, after serving a tour of three months.
That some few weeks after his second discharge he was again called out in the Militia and was attached to the regiment commanded by Col o Robert Coode, that he was marched down to the lower part of Virginia, was at Payants point and in that part of the country; that they came up and crossed James river at Wilton, and was in the affair at Sudburys, when the Americans were surprised, and part of them made prisoners by a detachment of Tarleton's light horse; that they joined the army under Baron Steuben and the Marquis Lafayette, and were marched up the country through Culpepper and the adjoining counties, and after serving a tour of at least three months, was discharged.

That during the revolutionary war, he was kept in military service at least three months, guarding a magazine in Chesterfield county.
That the country being in a state of alarm, he was several times called out with the whole regiment of militia to which he belonged, for short periods, the length of which he cannot ascertain or remember. That he merely believes, that all put together, he was in military service, at least eleven or twelve months, during the revolutionary war: he never received any written discharge. The register of his birth has been lost or mislaid; he has been informed and believes that he was born in the year 1760 or 1761, in Chesterfield county, Virginia, where he has resided ever since: He has no documentary evidence of his military services in the revolution, but is well known in the neighborhood where he resides; Philip H. Vest can testify to a part of his military services, and sundry other persons can testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed on the day & year herein first written.
Moses his Ferguson mark
I Philip H. Vest residing in the county of Chesterfield and state of Virginia, being first duly sworn before the county court of Chesterfield now sitting, do hereby certify and depose that I am and have been long acquainted with Moses Ferguson who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, having been his near neighbor for many years; that I well know the said claimant performed the first and third tours of duty as stated and set forth in his said declaration; This deponent was a soldier of the revolution and served with the said claimant in those tours.
Sworn to and subscribed in open court, this 8 th day of October anno Dom: 1832.
Philip his H. Vest mark

Moses Tergafoni
adm u
the W. S. Archer

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Moses Ferguson which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? Yes
V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? No
so service which is not specially & particularly set forth as the regulations require can be taken into the computation of
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? a peremptory - To allow an aggregate amount of service without specially reciting the terms of which it is composed
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? Yes is unsatisfactory.
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? Yes

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? XIV. † If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? Yes Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? Yes XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? Yes XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
“Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For _____ year _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____. For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension.”

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.
‡QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

13,950 Mosu Ferguson's
Declaration
1832 October 8 th
adm d 11 mo pri $36 66

State of Virginia. Chesterfield county, to wit:
We Nathaniel Puckett & Allan Whitworth residing in the county and state aforesaid, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Moses Ferguson who has sworn to and subscribed the foregoing declaration; that we believe him to be seventy one or seventy two years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion:
Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 8 th day of October anno Dom: 1832.
A. Whitworth N Puckett
I Haley Ferguson of Chesterfield county, Virginia aged sixty seven years being first duly sworn before the county court of Chesterfield now sitting, do hereby certify & depone, that I well remember that my brother Moses Ferguson who has made the foregoing declaration, did serve several terms of duty during the revolutionary war as a soldier in the militia; I remember that he served some time in guarding a magazine. Sworn to & subscribed this 8 th October anno Dom 1832, before the court sitting
Haley Ferguson his mark
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter and putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Philip H. Vail, Allan Whitworth, Nathaniel Puckett and Haley Ferguson who have signed and made oath to the preceding certificates and depositions are residents of Chesterfield county in the state of Virginia, that they are all credible persons, and that their statements are entitled to credit.
I Parke Coindeater clerk of the county court of Chesterfield county do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Moses Ferguson for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this 9 th day of October anno Dom: 1832, and in the 57 th year of our Independence.
Parke Coindeater, Clerk

Rev. & 1812 Wars Section Clear
See
January 13, 1930
Honorable Hugo L. Black United States Senate Washington, D.C.
My dear Senator Black:
In response to your letter of January 10, 1930, I have the honor to furnish, herewith, the information desired by Mr. W. A. Walker of Gurley, Alabama.
From the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S. 3461, it appears that Moses Fergusson was born in 1760 or 1761 in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
While a resident of that county, he enlisted sometime in the latter part of 1780 or the first part of 1781 and served six or eight weeks in Captain Joseph Royall's Virginia Company. He then enlisted in Captain Edward Moseley's Virginia Company and was in the battle of Petersburg and served three months. A few weeks later he enlisted and served three months in Colonel Robert Goode's Virginia Regiment. He also served three months and was engaged in guarding magazines in Chesterfield County. He served various other short tours, details not given. He stated that his entire service amounted to eleven or twelve months.
He was allowed pension on his application executed October 8, 1832, at which time he was a resident of Chesterfield County, Virginia.
There are no data relative to his family.
The above noted is the history of the only soldier from Virginia by the name of Moses Fergusson, searched under all spellings of the name, that is found on the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau. -----

Rehan
INVALID.
1930 Jan. 13 Rehan to Hon. Hugo L. Black. memo
File No. 8461
Maced Bergassan Peri New War
Act: June 19th 82
Index: — Vol. 1st Page 122
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Moses Ferguson's Amended Declaration

Virginia, Chesterfield county to wit,
Personally appeared before me the undersigned justice of the peace in and for the county aforesaid Moses Ferguson, who being duly sworn deposeth & saith that by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than eleven months as a private in the Militia, during the War of the Revolution, and for such service he claims a pension: -
There is no Clergyman residing in his neighbourhood who can testify in support of his declaration - during part of his service he was under the command of Baron Stenban and Morgan Lafayette - & Majors Duvall & Keel of the Regular Army. Subscribed and sworn to this 12th. February 1833.
Moses his Ferguson mark
Subscribed and sworn to before me a justice of the peace for the county aforesaid the day and year aforesaid. Given under my hand & seal.
Leonard Nunnally
Virginia: Chesterfield County court clerk's office
I Parke Foordexter clerk of the county court of Chesterfield in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that Leonard Nunnally, whose name is subscribed to the above certificate is and was at the time of signing the same an acting Justice of the peace in and for the county aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified as such, and that his signature thereto is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this thirteenth day of February anno Domini one thousand eight hundred thirty three, and in the 57th year of our Independence.
Parke Foordexter

WILLIAM E. BORAH, IDAHO, CHAIRMAN HIRAM W. JOHNSON, CALIF.      CLAUDE A. SWANSON, VA. GEORGE H. MOSES, N. H.      KEY PITTMAN, NEV. WALTER E. EDGE, N. J.      JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, ARK. ARTHUR CAPPER, KANS.      THOMAS J. WALSH, MONT. FREDERICK H. GILLETT, MASS.      PAT HARRISON, MISS. DAVID A. REED, PA.      WALTER F. GEORGE, GA. SIMEON D. FESS, OHIO      HUGO L. BLACK, ALA. GUY D. GOFF, W. VA.      ROBERT F. WAGNER, N. Y. ROBERT M. LA FOLLETTE, JR., WIS. ARTHUR H. VANDENBERG, MICH. HENRIK SHIPSTEAD, MINN.
CORA RUBIN, CLERK
United States Senate
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
January 10, 1930
Hon. Earl D. Church, Commissioner of Pensions, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Church:
I am enclosing herewith copy of letter just received from Mr. W. A. Walker of Gurley, Alabama, who desires information relative to pension claims in the cases of men named in the letter.
If you have any information relative to these men on file, your courtesy in furnishing Mr. Walker with the desired information will be appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
HUGO L. BLACK
HGG Encl.

COPY
COPY
Gurley, Ala. January 4, 1930
Senator Hugo H. Black, Birmingham, Ala.
Dear Sir:
Will you please see if you can get military record of the following men who served in the Revolutionary War for me. They are on file in the Congressional Library or Pension Department, Washington, D. C.
Men are as following.
Jacob and Elijah Froman who served in Virginia organization, Moses and James Ferguson who served in Virginia organization.
Please send me copy of their pension papers with number of pension claim.
Respectfully,
W. A. Walker